The Deserving Mistress

By the time daylight had appeared through the windows Jude had known he was no further towards doing that than he had been the previous evening, deciding that he had to follow his initial reaction—and that was to get himself away from May, from this situation, and hope that he would be able to make sense of it then.

Seeing May again before he left had not been part of his plans.

He scowled down at her as she came to an abrupt halt in front of him, eyes deeply green against the whiteness of her face. Eyes the same deep green as April’s…

His mouth tightened as he remembered May’s complete implacability over that situation. ‘What do you want?’ he rasped unwelcomingly, gaze narrowing ominously as she seemed to flinch at his words. ‘You’re making a hell of a mess of the floor,’ he added disgustedly.

May blinked, instantly looking down, eyes widening self-consciously as she seemed to realise for the first time that she was wearing muddy boots. ‘Never mind.’ Her chin rose challengingly as she looked back at him. ‘I’m sure they’ll add the cost of cleaning it to your bill.’

Despite himself, Jude felt his mouth twitch with amusement; not too much bothered this woman, did it? ‘I’m sure they will,’ he acknowledged dryly. ‘So, what can I do for you, May?’ he prompted wearily.

‘Max told me you’ve asked him to submit the final architect plans that don’t include the farm,’ she told him bluntly.

Jude drew in a sharp breath. Damn Max for doing that. Jude had thought he would be long gone by the time May discovered what he had done. But at least now he knew the reason that May had turned up here so suddenly…

Not that he had thought for one moment that it was a change of heart on her part—

Hadn’t he?

Hadn’t some part of him begun to hope that perhaps she felt more towards him than physical attraction? And even if she did, what then? Jude deliberately shied away from that thought. She hadn’t realised anything like that. Her only interest in him was still the farm.

His mouth thinned. ‘Then he had no right to tell you—’

‘You told him first of my offer to sell the farm,’ May defended heatedly.

They could go on like this all morning, Jude realised heavily; to his knowledge, May had never backed down from an argument yet.

‘So?’ He was deliberately obstructive; this woman had caused him nothing but grief since he had first met her, and his previous night of no sleep hadn’t helped his mood one little bit.

Her cheeks flushed angrily. ‘So I had told you I would sell it to you,’ she reminded tautly.

‘Immediately.’ He nodded uninterestedly.

‘Well?’ May demanded impatiently.

‘I seem to remember that I told you I am no longer interested in buying it,’ Jude replied calmly.

Her eyes sparked deeply green. ‘You’re just being bloody-minded now.’

He raised dark brows. ‘I am?’

‘Yes, you are,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t—’

‘May, could we go and sit down somewhere?’ he interrupted dryly. ‘We’re attracting a certain amount of attention standing here,’ he explained as she frowned her irritation with the suggestion. Not that it particularly bothered him who was watching them, but he had a feeling, with hindsight, that May just might.

She glanced around them impatiently, affording the receptionist a less than friendly scowl as the other woman ogled them unashamedly, obviously fascinated by the stark contrast they made, Jude dressed in a business suit, shirt and tie, May looking more like a tramp who had walked in off the street in the hope of being given a warming cup of coffee by some charitable guest.

May turned back to him impatiently. ‘I really don’t give a damn what they think—’

‘But I do.’ Jude clasped her arm, turning her firmly in the direction of the deserted lounge just to the left of where they stood. ‘Sit,’ he instructed as she made no effort to do so.

‘I’ll make the seats all dirty, too,’ she answered dismissively. ‘Jude, you’re just being difficult because I—’

‘No doubt they will put that on my bill, too,’ he rasped. ‘I said sit, May,’ he bit out through gritted teeth as she stood facing him. ‘And think very carefully before you continue that previous statement,’ he added grimly as she sank reluctantly into one of the armchairs.

‘Because I refuse to listen to you concerning April…’ she finished with obvious puzzlement for his grim attitude.

Ah, April…